An experimental Schistosoma mattheei infection in man

Abstract

Certain aspects of the immune response of a male experimentally infected with 3-day old cercariae of a pure field strain of Schistosoma mattheei were investigated. Among others, aspects such as the reaction of eosinophils, neutrophils and blood platelets after infection, were included in the study. The involvement of IgG and the cross reaction between these antibodies and S. haematobium and S. mansoni were also investigated. The phenomenon that the cercariae were, 3 days after shedding, still capable of penetrating the skin causing an inflammatory response was studied. The results lend some support to the surmise that a pure S. mattheei infection in humans is incapable of any egg production.